ECOLOGY BUILDING SOCIETY THE DESIGN REPORT DESIGNS FOR THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE ECOLOGY BUILDING SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS Mark Fisher, March 2005 on behalf of the Permaculture Association CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 The Preliminary Brief 2 PASE element generator sheets 2 SITE PLAN 3 PASE Sheet 4 THE DESIGN PROPOSITION 5 PUBLIC AREA Site Plan 7 Concept Design 8 Revised Proposals 9 Bund Closure 10 Southern Mound 11 Accent Spinney 12 Northern Mound 13 Overall Design 14 List of Shrubs and Trees 15 Quantities and Costings 16 CAR PARK AREA Site Plan 17 Concept Design 18 Heather Borders 19 Stonecrop Bed 20 Verge Border 20 Millstone Grit Guild 21 Compost Bins 22 List of Perennials, Trees and Shrubs 23 Quantities and Costings 23 PRIVATE AREA Site Plan 25 Concept Design 26 Revised Proposals 28 Berry Border 29 Earth Bank 29 Herb Border 30 List of Herbs 31 Woodland Edge 32 Overall Design 34 List of Perennials, Trees and Shrubs 35 Quantities and Costings 36 OVERALL COST OF MATERIALS 38 IMPLEMETATION 38 APPENDIX 1 – DESIGN PROPOSAL 39 APPENDIX 2 – INSTRUCTIONS FOR PASE SHEETS 43 APPENDIX 3 – POSTCODE SPECIES LIST 44 Mark Fisher Ecology Building Society Baildon, West Yorkshire 7 Belton Road, Silsden Tel: 01274 584089 West Yorks BD20 0EE E: [email protected] Tel: 0845 6745566 Web: www.self-willed-land.org.uk Email: [email protected] 3rd March 2005 Web: www.ecology.co.uk Ecology Building Society DESIGNS FOR LANDSCAPES A REPORT FOR THE ECOLOGY BUILDING SOCIETY INTRODUCTION This is a report of the design process for landscaping around the new HQ of the Ecology Building Society on Belton Road, Silsden, West Yorkshire. The design process was based on a number of stages, and on a developing relationship between client and designer. The process involved the participation of staff members from the building society, encouraging them to become actively involved in choices made within the design. The design is guided by the principles of sustainability, which seek to integrate environmental with social and economic considerations. Thus the design endeavours to incorporate and interconnect the productive, educational and leisure activities of people with the enduring use of the land. A principle aim is to amplify biological diversity within the remit of the design. This is best achieved by giving high regard to the natural characteristics of the location and by making use of the plants that would historically have existed there, if nature was unrestrained. The physical development of the landscape solutions and its subsequent long-term use are commended to follow contemporary methods based on natural systems. These seek to minimise environmental impact while increasing productive opportunity, and incorporate the re-use or recycling of wastes and resources. DEVELOPING THE BRIEF The client provided a preliminary brief at a site meeting, after which a design proposal was drawn up and approved. (Appendix 1) Base mapping of the site was carried out to update the site plan provided by the client, and a species survey was collected. As a first stage in developing the brief, members of staff were invited to fill in PASE Element Generator sheets (PASE stands for Plants, Animals, Structures and Events – instructions for its use are shown in Appendix 2). This is a simple exercise used to identify the clients’ needs and desires. The PASE sheets were subsequently reviewed at an onsite meeting with a group of staff members. The onsite meeting served two purposes: review of the PASE sheets provides the broad context of the brief, and the interview that followed began to add detail and set the choices that had to be made in the design. The interview was carried out while walking the site as it helped to set the physical boundaries of the site, but also provided a picture of the general location in which the site exists. THE CONCEPT REPORT After the site visit, a concept report was developed and then presented to a group of staff members. The report took the form of schematics that identify the major elements of the design concept and how they connect with each other. Based on responses to the presentation, modifications were made to areas of the concept design, and the overall design could commence. THE OVERALL DESIGN This was done in stages based on a potential sequence of development and the subdivisions of the land identified in the concept design. Textual explanation and, in some cases, greater detail for particular design elements are given to support the schematic representations of the design for the subdivisions. Quantities and indicative costings are also supplied. Some observations are made in drawing together development actions. QUANTITIES AND COSTINGS Quantities shown represent material needed to fully Landscape and Permaculture Design 1 Mark Fisher Ecology Building Society implement the design as shown in the schematics. Indicative costings are given for comparative purposes and are based on representative catalogue prices. They exclude VAT and any element of delivery charge. They do not necessarily imply current availability. THE PRELIMINARY BRIEF The client has specified an overall aim for the site design of low maintenance, and identified four areas of the site for consideration in the design proposal (see SITE PLAN overpage): Open space to the North East– a public space for use by local residents, probably walking their dogs. Elements are an earth bund, a path and receptacle for collection of dog wastes. The major space is to be maintained as a meadow. Flower borders – below the walls to the rear of the car park and on the boundary with the footpath on Belton Road. Planting schemes. Transition boundary – a border between the car park and the building/proposed meeting room space. Planting to create separation. Open space to the South West – a private space for use of the staff. Elements include a meadow, an earth bund and a spinney of young trees. Design considerations are the closing off of this space, but securing and ensuring access to and around the building. The open space behind the office building (to the North) is designated for the eventual construction of the meeting room. Landscaping proposals for this space were not part of the initial brief, but there may be an issue of access to this area during that construction phase caused by the recent plantings of birch. PASE ELEMENT GENERATOR SHEETS Four PASE sheets were returned from staff members. These were compiled into one sheet and used as the basis for discussion during the follow-up site walk with a staff group. A copy of the compilation PASE sheet is given after the Site Plan. The information from this site visit confirmed the preliminary brief, giving more information on choices for the likely development of the landscape, and allowed a realistic evaluation of the various proposals in the PASE sheets. These discussions formed the basis of the information needed to devise the Concept Designs. It should be noted that it is not the intention that the Concept Designs should contain every idea put forward in the PASE sheets. Some latitude should always be left for later development after the initial phase. Landscape and Permaculture Design 2 Mark Fisher PLANTS ANIMALS STRUCTURES EVENTS Fragrant plantings: lavender, Hedgehogs Seating areas: open views, in Staff social events roses, lilac Butterflies copse, under an arch/living Lunchtime eating out Roses, companion planted Bird boxes in copse arbour (cover?) Insect attracting plants (for Bat boxes Paths, walkways, meandering Quiet, relaxing area honey bees?) Bird baths and tables through whole site Natural drifts, planting Bees Spill-out from AGM/meetings Picnic Area Large clumps, in scale with Outdoor lighting building A hide Nature garden around copse Compost bin/area Architectural plantings near meeting room Bulbs, all season, under trees Stonecrop along path borders Herbs Berried and fruiting shrubs Groundcover Meadow area near copse Native plants Avenue of trees Low maintenance planting Year-round interest Barrier planting where appropriate Ecology Building Society 2004 – Mark Fisher Ecology Building Society THE DESIGN PROPOSITION THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE Silsden is a small town of about 8,000 population that is located to the NW of the Bradford District. It lies in the Aire valley, with the river below it, and it backs into the millstone grit uplands that line the N of the valley. A similar upland geology faces Silsden to the S. The valley bottom immediately below Silsden is a plagioclimax of improved grassland, a few of these fields flooding in winter. There is little area of woodland, but some broad-leafed trees and hedgerow shrubs dot the landscape boundaries. Plagioclimax is the term describing landscapes where humans and their farming activity restrain the natural vegetation. Grassland is the favoured landscape for the livestock farming that characterises the Aire valley. If these farming activities were removed, the landscape would gradually revert through a process of natural succession to the woodland that covered most of the Aire valley some 5,000 years ago. It is likely that this woodland vegetation would follow the pattern that would be seen in most of the millstone grit areas of the south Pennines, of a climax woodland of sessile oak (Quercus petrea). Large oak trees would dominate the landscape, but there would be considerable variety within this wooded landscape since there would be openings of varying size, and a range of species are able to grow within an oak woodland canopy. Tansley has documented the characteristic natural vegetation of the south Pennine oakwoods. Along with oak, the tree layer would also have contained birch, holly, mountain ash, wych elm, bird cherry and gean, but also ash, alder and crack willow in the wetter places. The shrub layer would also be rich in having hazel, hawthorn, field maple, blackthorn, dog rose, guelder rose, elderberry, bramble and raspberry.